Building Community Bridges Inc., (BCB) has 7 days to raise a grand total of $5,000 to support their operations that bring clean water to rural villages in Togo and West Africa.
According to the CIA World Factbook, bacterial diarrhea is a very high risk of death to citizens of Togo. Lack of clean drinking water, hygiene regimens, and adequate sanitation systems are all linked to the spread of diarrhea in Togo.
Giving the gift of clean water is equivalent to giving a child, a mother, even a family, a chance at life in rural villages of West Africa.
BCB is at work building solar powered water pumps in Koussougba and surrounding villages in Togo. Part of BCB’s work includes educating women on proper hygiene methods that women can share with families and other villagers.
Bringing clean drinking water to a rural village in West Africa or elsewhere is not the answer to reducing mortality rates from water-borne diseases in developing countries.
Clean water projects must be supplemented by a comprehensive hygienic and sanitation framework that addresses underlying causes of infection.
Without a water source, farmers cannot grow food. Mothers cannot cook balanced meals for their families. And perhaps the worst casualty that results from a lack of clean drinking water is the lose of time.
Walking to the next village or to the local water well takes hours away from women who could otherwise invest their time in entrepreneurial ventures that generate income for the family.
Instead, women in rural villages that do not have a clean water source are forced to walk miles for water. Of course, treks for water outside of her local village are very dangerous for women.
Women are exposed to innumerable dangers, simply for the sake of retrieving water for their families. Sadly, the water that she fetches may still be infected with microorganisms that cause diarrhea and other water-borne diseases.
Investing in clean water for rural villages in Africa and beyond is an investment in public health, gender equality, economic development, and environmental sustainability.
Access to safe water touches upon every level of human existence. Training women on effective methods to prevent the spread of communicable and life-threatening diseases is also a fundamental element to ending poverty in Togo and other parts of West Africa.
For every $50 that BCB raises for clean water projects in Togo, the Segal Foundation will match that gift up to $10,000.
There are still seven days, 189 hours, 11, 340 minutes, 680, 400 seconds to help BCB raise as much money as possible to improve the lives of women, children, and families in Togo.
The positive outcomes from investments in water and women in Togo are immeasurable. It takes a village to raise a child. But it also takes a healthy mother, a clean water source, and a sustainable solution to raise a healthy child.
Will you help BCB raise $5,000 by Friday, April 15, 2011?
If you enjoyed this article, you should also read:
Repairing Water Wells in Africa When the Well Runs Dry
EPA Enviro-Justice Award for Puerto Rico Plan
Did Justice Prevail? Inequity in Fines Paid for Oil Spill
Your Comments
1 comment